Martinsburg daily gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1887-1887, 1887-06-18
THE vows OF LUDWIG
TRAGIC ENDING or a STRANGE Ma
MA or RAvARlAN MAiDENs.


Drowned liinlsels- TIistory Of : Psca-
Iiar Mania.
A curious feminine mania II called to
mind BY the recent tragic news from Nm
Mich. Two young ladies' of thaf city
harnesses have committed suicide b3
drowning In the starnberg lake, e .ths
very spot where the mad King LouiS
drowned himself last year. The names
Of these ladies are familiar to All who
have been admitted to the best Munich
society. They were sisters, dyed Is and
g.. and were famed for their. beauty.
Their family Is d very noble and wealthy
one. The mania - which they f3ll vic-
Tins had it, origin fifteen.cr sixteen years
ago. The young king WIS then et the
height Of his romantic fame Hih iieGliy
handsome likeness was to be seen every
where, and everywhere you heaHa talk Of
his poetic melancholy, his rornnntie spirit,
and his confirmed eelibacy. Materially he
became an object Of intense interest to
sentimental young ladies.
"A SILLY TALE.
Presently, among the other absurd tales
t'lat were told Of him, there went abroad
ss.e story that he spent most Of his time
III wandering about his kingdom IN dis
guise. He haunted shady lanes and 70
ilantic spots, seeking for some fair maiden
s'ho should be his chosen bride. Well,
is silly tale was believed and set thou
s:snds Of hearts to fiuttering, Each maiden
ondered II she would be his choice II he
t.lanced to meet her under the lime trees.
md she hesitated TO plight her tr0th to
Lcr village lover until she should have had
/. chance "a meet the king.
So Il came 70 pass that in the village Of
Lcrtoldshofen, In the romantic mountain
region of southern Bavaria, the maidens
.urmed themselves into . sort. Of sister
i.ood. They pledged themselves TO each
Uther not TO marry unit they were sure.
iae king had passed them by. Each was
10 wear his likeness constantly near her
bosom, and each Was 10 choose for herEelf
i secret bower where It eventide she
should await his coming. Al more SHY
..cheme, probably, never was devised
by the silly brains OF love sick school girls.
8ut more than score Of Bertoldshofen
naidens entered into ii With the zeal and de-
votion Of nt:ils. The fame Of this sisterhoOd
spread to other villages, to towns, and
cities-nay, TO Munich itself Rustic
wenches and the petted beauties Of princely
palaces alike caught the mad disease
Within . year not less liam 1O, 600 young
women, MI through Bavaria, had taken
upon themselves the vows OF Ludwig,
and were waiting oritheir king.
FREED FRoM THKIR vows.
In time many OF these girls imagined
they Ind been sSen and passed BY By the
king, and, thus freed from their vows, &C
cepted humber husbands. Others grew
tired Of waiting and broke their vows.
Still others waited and waited III vain,
until Ill other suitOrs had passed them ~;
and ey are waiting still and WIN be
waiting all their lives. Bnt Is the ranks
Of the original sisterhoods were thiEned
new recruits were added, and 1.-THE Lrides
Of Ludwig were still counted by thou
sands. II Is estimated that there were no
less than Z, 600 Of them at the time Of his
suicide. When the news Of that tragedy
became Known they forthwith put on
mourning and called themselves stthe wild
ows'Of Ludwig Many of them took sol
emn vows Of life Ions telibacy, IS token
of faithfulness TO his memory.
Among these latter two Of the most de-
voted were the young baronesses Of Mu-
mich 70 whom we have referred. They
constantly wore the deepest mourning,
secluded themselves from all social pleas
ures, and drove themselves into confirmed
INTERNATIONALLY. Livery Week tn6y went 70
Starnberg and threw garlands Of flowers
into the water at the very spot where the
king was drowned. Finally they deter-
mined to share his fate They Arrayed
themselves as brides, even TO DOMINIC
wells and orange blossoms, rowed ont into
the lake 10 the spot where he was drowned,
and. threw, themselves into the water.
Their bodies were found next day, clasped
in each others, arms and with portr1ifh
Of the mad king next their hearts. Paris
Cor. Chicago Tribune.